Process for manufacturing design roofing and apparatus therefor



Oct. 6; 1936. R. A. HoLDswoRTH 2,055,275

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING 4DESIGN ROOFING AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 18, 1933 INVENTOR ATTOPNF'V Patented Oct. 6, 1936l S PATENT GFFICE PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING DESIGN ROOFING AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Richard A. Holasworth, New York, N. Y., assignmto The Barrett Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 18, 1933, Serial No. 694,127

6 Claims.

This invention relates to roofing and more particularly to the production of roofing or siding Vhaving the exposed face formed with a desired pattern or design.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel process and apparatus for applying surfacing material to a coated roofing base in the form of a well-defined pattern or design.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for applying surfacing material through a stencil onto coated sheet roofing in pattern or design in which the stencil is contacted with and partly embedded in the coating on the roofing producing roofing having well defined raised and depressed areas forming a desired pattern or design of enhanced architectural value.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the invention.

Prior to this invention, it was common practice in the roofing industry to apply surfacing material in an ornamental design or pattern to a coated roofing base by passing the surfacing material through a stencil maintained out of contact with the layer of coating material. It has also been proposed to manufacture design roofing by applying coating material to a roofing sheet, allowing the coating on the sheet to cool and solidify, contacting a stencil with the solidified coating, applying surfacing material through the stencil, pressing the surfacing material into the solidified coating, and removing the stencil from the thus surfaced sheet.

In the process of the present invention the stencil is contacted with the coating on the sheet before the coating has had an opportunity to cool and set. The stencil is pressed against and partially embedded in the soft coating layer after which surfacing material is applied over the entire width of the stencil and sheet. When the stencil is removed from contact with the sheet the surfacing material overlying the solid portions of the stencil is also removed, resulting in the formation of roofing having the surfacing material applied in a design depending upon the open spaces in the stencil. This method permits the formation of embossed roofing in which the thickness of the unsurfaced coating layer is less than the thickness of the coating layer underlying the surface portions of the sheet. The amount or degree of embossing is ldependent upon the thickness of the solid portions of the stencil and the thickness of the initial coating layer.

My invention makes possible the manufacture of design roofing of enhanced architectural value since the embossed coating causes the surfaced areas to stand out from the rest of the sheet thereby producing a deeper shadow effect and a clearer and better defined line of demarkation between the surfaced and unsurfaced portions of the sheet.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown by Way of illustration a preferred method of carrying out this invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic in character, showinga preferred arrangement of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing one type of stencil which may be used;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a finished roofing sheet showing the type of design roofing produced by using the stencil of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing with particular reference to Fig. 1, a sheet of saturated fibrous material I, which may be and preferably is of the usual roofing felt made of rag fiber, paper stock, or other fibrous material impregnated with liquid saturant, such as asphalt, is fed from a suitable source of supply to acoating appliance 3 having a pair of coating rolls 5 and B. Lower coating roll 6 is rotatably mounted inY a. tank 8 which may contain bituminous material, such as asphalt or other cementitious waterproofing substance suitable for coating roofing.

Just before the saturated sheet I passes between coating rolls 5 and 6, relatively hot plastic waterproof coating material is applied onto its top side by means of a supply pipe IU equipped with a suitable discharge spout. During passage of the sheet between the coating rolls, this coating material is spread over the top side of the sheet to form a coating layer of uniform thickness. Simultaneously the underside of the sheet is given a seal-back coating of bituminous material by means of lower coating roll 6. An endless perforated belt I2, which may be of steel or other iiexible durable material, is superimposed on the coated sheet immediately after the sheet leaves the coating appliance -3 and while the coating material is still soft and tacky. The perforated belt passes around spaced rollers I4 and I5 driven through any suitable drive (not shown). The belt should travel at a rate substantially equal to the linear speed of the coated sheet with which it is in contact.

A an application of anti-stick solution, such as a solution of soap in water. This solution may be applied by means of a suitable application roll I1, the surface of which is wetted with anti-stickA solution fed from supply tank I8. The anti-stick solution prevents thel belt from sticking to the coating material on the roofing sheet, insures the production of a clear-cut design or pattern, and permits the ready separation of the pattern belt or stencil from contact with the coated sheet.

The coated sheet and the endless perforated belt I2 in contact therewith pass together from roller I4 to roller I5. 'I'he sheet in its passage through the apparatus is maintained taut so that the pressure thereof against the superimposed perforated belt causes the solid portions of the belt to sink into and become partially embedded in the soft hot coating on the sheet. The depth to which the belt is embedded in the coating is dpendent upon the thickness of the belt and the thickness of the coating on the sheet. Preferably the belt is made of such thickness that it will not become completely embedded in the coating layer.

The coated sheet and the embedded perforated belt in moving from roller I4 to roller I5 pass under a surfacing device or hopper 20 extending across the width of the sheet. Granular surfacing material, such as crushed slate, crushed stone, or other kinds of grit is fed into this hopper and is showered by means of the usual distributing roll 2| onto the perforated belt and coated sheet passing thereunder, covering substantially the entire Width of the belt and sheet with surfacing material. Removal of heat by the surrounding atmosphere and by the application of the cold surfacing material causes the coating to cool and set. After the surfacing operation, the belt and sheet pass together over roller I5 which functions to partially embed granular surfacing in those areas of the coating material not covered by the solid portions of the perforated belt.

The surfaced sheet is stripped from contact with the perforated belt as the latter begins its travel from roll I5 back to roller I4. Since the coating is now relatively cool and in a solid condition, it will not run or spread into the depressed areas previously occupied by the solid portions of the belt. The granular material which fell on the solid portions of the perforated belt and the excess granular material on the surfaced areas of the sheet fall therefrom back into hopper 20. The surfacing material which was forced through the perforated belt remains on the raised areas of the coated sheet and forms a design or pattern the exact configuration of which depends upon the perforations or open portions of the belt.

In the continued passage of the surfaced sheet, it travels next under hopper 23. Powdered talc, mica dust, or other suitable anti-stick composition is deposited in hopper 23 and is discharged therefrom by distributing roll 24 onto the sealback coating on the underside of the sheet in the form of a surfacing layer covering substantially the entire width of the sheet. The talc covered sheet then travels over reversing roll 25 which presses the talc into the coating and imparts a smooth surface to the back of the sheet. After the sheet passes over roll 25, excess talc falls therefrom back into hopper 23.

The design roofing thus produced may be left in the form of roll roofing or may be cut by means well known in the roofing art to form invidual roofing or siding elements.

It is obvious that the above described procedures make it possible to form roofing having a wide variety of designs or patterns. The exact design obtained depends entirely upon the type of perforated belt used. In Fig. 3 there is depicted a portion of a perforated belt which may be used to form roofing having the appearance of a brick wall. This belt is composed of a series of parallel metal bands 21 connected together by short perpendicular metal bands 28 forming rows of brick shaped openings or perforations 30. The type of roofing which is produced by using such a perforated belt is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

This roofing consists of a saturated felt base 32 having a seal-back coating 33 of bituminous waterproofing-composition, such as asphalt, rendered non-cementitious by an overlying layer 34 of the powdered talc. The top side of the roofing is substantially completely covered by coating layer 35 having raised and depressed areas. The raised areas 31 are substantially rectangular in shape and are formed by the open spaces 30 in the perforated belt. The long parallel depressed areas 39 and the short perpendicular depressed areas 4I! surrounding the raised portions 31 are formed by the solidy bands 21 and 28 of the perforated belt. The raised areas of coating material are provided with a surfacing layer 42 of granular surfacing material.

The present invention makes possible the production of design roofing of greatly enhanced architectural value. The use of a stencil belt in accordance with this invention permits the production of roong having clean-cut and distinct designs of surfacing material. Furthermore, due to the fact that the unsurfaced portions of the sheet are depressed below the coating material on the surfaced portions of the sheet, there is produced embossed roofing having a deep shadow-line and presenting a more pleasing appearance than roofing heretofore produced.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above procedures and in the constructions set forth may bemade Without departing from the scope of this invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. The process of forming ornamental roofing which comprises the steps of saturating a felt base, applying a coating layer of waterproof coating material to .the saturated base, partially embedding a stencil in said coating layer .to form raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial area and depth, thereby producing a three-dimensional design in relief onsaid base applying surfacing material to the portions of the coating layer extending through the openings in the stencil, maintaining said stencil embedded in said coating ,layer until the coating material has partially hardened and removing the stencil from said coating layer.

2. The process of making roofing which comprises applying a layer of hot plastic bituminous material to a face of Waterproof fibrous base, embedding a stencil of substantial thickness in said plastic bituminous layer so that the upper surface of said bituminous layer is flush with the surface of the stencil remote from seid base to arredare form raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial area and depth, applying granular material to the stencil and base, the granules adhering to the raised portions of the bituminous coating left uncovered by the stencil and partially embedding said granular material in said raised portions.

3. The process of producing ornamental design yroofing which comprises saturating a brous sheet with bituminous waterproofing material, applying a coating layer of plastic bituminous `waterproofing material to a face of said saturated sheet, contacting the coated sheet with a stencil of substantial thickness, pressing the stencil into the coating layer to form raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial area and depth in said coating layer, applying surfacing material through the stencil to those areas of the coating not covered by the stencil, partially embedding the surfacing material into the raised portions of the coating layer while the stencil is still in contact with the sheet and removing the stencil from contact with the sheet.

l. The process of forming ornamental design roong which comprises saturating a sheet of felt base material with liquid bituminous waterproong material, applying a coating layer of hot plastic bituminous waterproofing material to the saturated sheet, applying a film of antistick solution to a stencil, passing said stencil and said coated sheet into contact with each other, pressing the stencil into the coating while it is still plastic and relatively readily deformn able thereby forming raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial area and depth in said coating, applying granular surfacing material over the stencil and sheet,

the granular material adhering to the raised portions of the coating layer, not covered by the stencil, partially embedding the surfacing material in the raised portions of the coating layer and removing the stencil from contact with the sheet and partially embedding anti-stick composition in the coating on the opposite side of the sheet.

5. Apparatus for forming ornamental design roofing which comprises means for applying a layer of plastic bituminous Waterproofing composition to a saturated felt base, a stencil of substantial thickness, means for applying an antistick composition to said stencil, means for contacting said stencil with said sheet, means for pressing said stencil into the coating layer on said sheet to form raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial area and depth, means for applying surfacing material through said stencil to the uncovered raised portions of said coating layer, means for partially embedding said surfacing material into said coating layer while said stencil is in contact with the sheet and means for removing the stencil from contact With the sheet.

6. The process of making ornamental roofing having a predetermined three-dimensional design in relief thereon which comprises applying a layer of hot plastic waterproof coating material to a waterproof base, partially embedding a stencil in the coating layer to form raised portions of substantial height and depressed portions of substantial depth and area, thereby producing said three-dimensional design in relief on said base, maintaining said stencil embedded in said coating layer until the coating material has partially hardened and then removing the stencil from said coating layer.

RICHARD A. HOLDSWORTH. 

